Vehicle-wheel.



T. A. HARGRAVES & B. J. MoOORD.

VEHICLE WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 5, 1911.

Patented Aug. 6, 1912.

2 SHEETSSHBET 1.

T. A. HARGRAVES & E. J. MoGORD. VEHICLE WHEEL.

APYLIOATION FILED AUG. 5, 1911.

1 ,O35,004. Patentd Aug. 6, 1912.

2 $HEETSSHEET 2.

It 8 .9" I i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS ARTHUR nAnGnAvEs Ania EDWARD JAMns MQCORD, or BELFAST, IRELAND, ASSIGNOBS or ONE-THIRD 'ro 'rnoiuAs swarms, or BELFAST, IRELAND.

VEHICLE-WHEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug:6,'191 2.

Application and August 5,1911. Serial in. (542,503.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it lmown that we, THOMAE ARTHUR HAmRAvns and EDWARD JAMES McComr, both subjects of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, and both residing at Belfast, Ireland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicle-Wheels, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the wheels of motor or other vehicles, its object being to provide an improved resilient wheel.

Under our invention we provide between the rim and the hub a number of arms, one end of each arm being ivoted to the hub while its other end wo-r s in a socket pro Vided on or in the underside of the rim, thereby making the hub float relative to the rim, and round each arm we provide a spring bearing at one end on the hub, and 1 at the other end held in a socket provided on the underside of the rim, the spring be in free to move radially their movement si ewise and circumferentially being limited by the arms which are so made that they almost touch the inner circumference of the springs thereby greatly strengthening the springs when they are subjected to circumferential twist or other movement due to any movement of the rim relative to the hub.

In order that our said invention may be clearly understood wehave hereunto appended two explanatory sheets of drawings whereon we have shown, by way of example, a motor car wheel made in accordance with our invention.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the wheel, part being in section to show the details more clearly. Fig. 2 is a cross section on the line X-X, Fig. 1, the spring being shown full on the lower half.

On the drawings the same reference letters wherever repeated indicate the same parts.

In the subsequent description of the wheel we have particularly referred to the upper spoke and its accessories and for the sake of brevity have treated the spoke as if being always in the vertical position.

In carrying out our invention for a motor car wheel as shown in the drawings we make the hub a with, in this case, a hexagonal periphery having six sockets a therein, one in each flat of the hexagon and we preferably make the end a of the hib removable and so that it forms one side of each socket a b securin it against the part a and on t e end 0 the axle b by means of bolts a and nuts a or otherwise. The sockets a are preferably rectangular in shape as shown in the drawings and into them radially projecting forked pieces d are fitted, each of which has below its forks d a plate d which acts as a bottom bearing plate for the corresponding spiral spring a. The forks d of each forked piece at are shaped to fit inside the corresponding sprin c and between the forks d of each fork piece d and suitably secured to them is a pivot pin (i and on each pin (i one end a of a radial arm or spoke e is pivotally secured, the other end 6 of the said arm terminating in a pivoted fork piece 6 having a portion 6 adapted to slidably fit in a socket or bushing 9 provided in the underside of the wheel rim .h. The rim h, in the example shown, is made of wood and has fitted in suitable recesses a series of blocks 0 on the removal of which the said sockets or bushings 9 can be moved laterally from the rim, each block being secured in position by means of a plate 0 secured thereon and on the face of the rim, and the rim it has a tire securing rim 2' suit-ably fastened to it in which any suitable form of solid or other tire may be held, in any usual manner.

Around each arm or spoke e a spiral spring a is provided, one end 0 of which bears on the bottom bearing plate d while its other end 0 is received within a cap or socket is which is concentrically arranged relative to the socket or bushing g and suitably secured by bolts 70 or their equivalent to the underside of the rim 5-. This ca or socket is has a central opening is an as shown in the drawings, it is preferably adapted to receive into its central opening one end of the socket or bushing g, the latter being screwed or otherwise secured therein, and the tire j is preferably made with an internal and circumferential groove into which the outer ends of the bolts 70 may be pressed in such manner as to permit of the cap or socket is being moved laterally from the rim. Each radial arm or spoke 0, has a number of projecting wings or parts 6 which are adapted to fit inside the spring 0. These wings e extend for the greater part of the length of the arms 6 between the pivoted ends e and e and while they drawings, passages l are provided by means of which the sockets 9 may be lubricated. The passages Z may, of course, if desired,

be provided at their outer ends with suitable dust proof covers, and in order to prevent the ingress of dust and dirt to the springs, arms, etc., we preferably provide an outer guard m of some transparent material, or other material, said guard m being either flexible and secured to the rim 2' or slidably secured in position so as to allow for the radial movements of the rim relative to the hub. A similar guard n would be provided for the inner side of the wheel and modified inshape to suit the requirements at the inner sldeof the wheel.

The vehicle wheel hereinbefore described is so constructed that a free radial movement of the hub a relative to the rim k is permitted by the springs c and owing to to the double jointed nature of the spokes or arms 6 and to the slidable sockets for the rim fork pieces a certain amount of relative movement of the hub a and rim h is also permitted in the direction of the plane of the wheel but owing to the laterally extending wings or enlargements on the spokes no sideward twisting or displacement of the springs relative to their spokes may take place, and consequently there can be no sideward twist or movement of'the rim relative to the hub and the springs are retained in proper relation to their spokes at all times.

The springs c are put into position around the arms or spokes and between the plate d and cap or socket is with a little compression on them so as to prevent any rattle or tendency to spring out and if desired any known means may be provided for adjusting the compression on the springs.

The rim 7:. and the tire may be of any desired construction.

Having now fully described our invention what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is v1. A vehicle wheel comprising in combination a hub having a pluralit of recesses or sockets formed in its periphery, fork pieces adapted to fit into said recesses or sockets, a series of spokes having their one ends ivotally secured thereto, a rim having a series of sockets therein, fork pieces slidable in said sockets and to which the other ends of the spokes are pivotally secured, springs surrounding the spokes and extending from the hub to the rim and laterally extending enlargements on the spokes.

2. A vehicle wheel comprising in combination a hub, a series of fork pieces fitted therein, the hub having a plurality of recesses or sockets formed in its periphery to receive corresponding projections on the fork pieces, the hub being made in two parts so that when disassembled the removal of one part of the hub takes away one lateral side of each of the recesses to admit of the ready withdrawal or insertion of the fork pieces with spokes and springs complete, a series of spokes having their one ends pivotally secured thereto, a rim having a series of sockets therein, removable blocks inserted in the rim and forming one side of each rim socket, means for securing the blocks in place, fork pieces slidable in said sockets and to which the other ends of the spokes are pivotally secured, springs surrounding the spokes and extending from the hub to the rim and laterally extending enlargements on the spokes.

3. A vehicle wheel comprising in combination a hub of polygonal shape having a recess or socket formed in each face of the polygon, a rim, a series of fork pieces at the hub having projecting pieces thereon adapted to fit mto the sockets in the hub 1 and to form the driving members between the hub and the spokes, and a flange on each hub fork piece, a spoke plvotally secured at one end to each hub fork piece and-having pivotally secured to its other end a fork piece which is adapted to fit slidably in a socket in the rim, springs surrounding the s okes and extending from the rim to the anges on the fork piecesat the hub, and laterally extending enlargements on the spokes.

4. A vehicle wheel comprising a hub, a series of sockets in the hub, a rim, a series of sockets in the rim, fork pieces fitted in the sockets in the hub, fork pieces fitted slidably in the sockets in the rim, spokes pivotally connected with said fork pieces and extending therebetween, a flange on each fork piece at the hub, a cap or socket secured to the underside of the rim and having a hole therein through which the fork piece at the rim is adapted to slide, springs surrounding said spokes and extending from the caps or sockets at the underside of the rim to the flanges on the fork pieces at the 1,035,004 I I B sockets in the hub and fork pieces fitted slidably in the sockets. in the rim and removable by the disassembling of the hub parts and withdrawal of the corresponding rim block,

5 spokes pivotally connected with said fork pieces and extending therebetween, a flange on each fork piece at the hub, a cap or socket secured to the underside of the rim and having a hole therein through which the fork 10 piece at the rim is adapted to slide, springs surrounding said spokes and extending from the caps or sockets at the underside of the rim to the flanges on the fork pieces at the hub and laterally extending flanges on the spokes adapted to be a slidable fit within 15 said springs.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS ARTHUR HARGRAVES. EDWARD JAMES MGCORD.

Witnesses:

ANDREW HAMILTON, JAMES AIKEN. 

